British Gas will be one of the first major UK companies to roll out Michelin Agilis CrossClimate tyres across its entire van fleet following successful trials.
The utilities provider already has a CrossClimate+ policy in place for its near-10,000 car-derived vans, and now its 1,500 Ford Transit Customs and 700 Vauxhall Vivaros will be fitted with Michelin’s highly-acclaimed new product for the van market.
The summer tyre with winter capabilities resolves the headache of having to juggle seasonal fitments, offering safety in all weather conditions, high mileage, fuel economy, robustness and long lasting performance.
Michelin says its own testing has revealed the Agilis CrossClimate is as long lasting as the Agilis+ summer van tyre – an impressive feat given traditional winter tyres typically have a shorter life than their summer counterparts.
A spokesperson for British Gas says: “Based on experiences to-date, the Agilis CrossClimate performs as well as the car version – and we’ve had great results from that on our small vans. Our fleet travels a total of 100 million miles per year, so tyres that last and offer mobility in all road conditions are crucial to our needs.”
British Gas was one of a handful of major European fleets to trial Agilis CrossClimate tyres ahead of their official entry into the market in May 2018. On the back of this performance, it is now rolling the product out across its whole fleet of large vans.
Jonathan Layton, Michelin’s Head of Fleet in the UK and Ireland, says: “With the Agilis CrossClimate, fleet managers no longer face the worry of grinding to a halt in adverse conditions or the costly and time-consuming hassle of switching between summer and winter tyres. This is a highly capable tyre that can handle the demands of wintry surfaces while still behaving like a summer fitment, offering fleet managers peace of mind and long lasting performance.
“The Agilis CrossClimate tyre will make such a strong impact in the van market. The fact it’s capable of the same mileage as our class leading Agilis+ summer range is remarkable and a major leap forward in our all-weather products. In the past, fleet managers have simply accepted that winter tyres wear faster, but with the Agilis CrossClimate that won’t be the case at all. And that’s what makes it so exceptional. It really is the obvious choice for van fleets.”
The Agilis CrossClimate was inspired by Michelin’s CrossClimate+ car tyre. Its V-shaped tread blocks’ bi-directional self-locking sipes provide cutting edges which bite into snow. Not only does this combination of new tread rubber and the V-shaped pattern deliver grip in all conditions, it also increases tyre life.
